


Timeline Shifts

by fezwearingjellybananas



Series: The Flash & Hawkgirl [11]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Gen, Iris West is The Flash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:47:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29402187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fezwearingjellybananas/pseuds/fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: The Dominators want Iris because she changed time. Wally is not going to let that happen
Relationships: Iris West & Wally West
Series: The Flash & Hawkgirl [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859986
Kudos: 1





	Timeline Shifts

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like there should be some kind of warning for everything Eobard did

“I screwed up,” Iris said.

“Everyone does sometimes,” Wally said. He sat down next to her. “Cisco told me about Flashpoint. Why didn’t you?”

“I couldn’t even save her. The other me that was there, the one that came from the Flashpoint timeline, she stopped me. She said there had been too much damage already, that Time would shatter if I tried. Three versions of me in one place, that was what pulled the Time Wraiths to me and not him, if I hadn’t gone, they would have gone after him. All I could do was hold her.”

“At least she wasn’t alone. It was you who pulled me out of there, wasn’t it? This you.”

“He’s never going to face justice for what he’s done.”

“The Speed Force sent Time Wraiths after him and he’s been erased from existence. I think that counts. Why now? He wanted you to before. He wanted the wormhole opened so he could go home and you could save her.”

“No, he wanted a distraction for the Time Wraiths, and I wasn’t going to give him one. The Speed Force told me I haven’t accepted her death. They were right.”

“Maybe. Maybe you just blame yourself for things that aren’t your fault. If this was just about the Speed Force you would have gone after you got out the Speed Force. Why now, Iris? Was it Max?”

“It made sense she would have doppelgangers out there. I wasn’t expecting to come face to face with one, but Max seems nice. They’re not Mom and it’s not their fault.”

“Then tell me what happened.”

“Clariss and Yorkin. You got hurt.”

“I’m fine.”

“You weren’t before. I couldn’t…”

“That’s not your fault. I’m okay and that’s because of you. What happened with Thawne wasn’t your fault either.”

“He came back to kill me.”

“I don’t know if he did. I don’t know if he knew what he wanted anymore. He told Barry you were his hero growing up, that his only friend was the Flash. He told me he’d seen different timelines and different worlds and you love different people in all of them, you have different friends, but I’m always standing in his way. Grodd told me speedsters’ minds are hard to read, you think too quickly, but his powers were flickering and what glimpses he did see were all focused on you. How he was in love and you betrayed him but the person he described didn’t sound like you at all. You told me how he acted in the Time Vault when you talked about Zoloman. I read that memoir he wrote and maybe it was mostly lies, but there was some truth in it too. I saw the way the younger version looked at you when you turned away from him in the Pipeline.”

“He told me he wanted me dead. He shoved his hand inside my chest and would have pulled my heart out if he hadn’t been afraid of the Time Wraiths.”

“I know. He also told me the first person he erased from existence was his younger brother and he couldn’t wait to do the same to me. He told me the only reason he was leaving me with Grodd instead of in a ditch is that he knew you would be distracted looking for me if you knew I was alive, otherwise you would be too focused on finding him. If Hartley hadn’t found me… He told me he planned on Dad once he was finished with me, or maybe he’d make me watch, make me suffer first. He told Barry he was fond of him in this timeline, that he intended to leave him and Cisco unharmed, but he wouldn’t make any promises. There were other timelines he did kill Barry. We know he killed Cisco in the day you changed. And you said he designed those handcuffs that blocked enough of your speed you couldn’t escape while leaving enough you could still heal; those don’t sound like he was just planning on killing you.”

“Wally…”

“He didn’t love you. Grodd got that wrong. Maybe Eobard believed he did, but he was wrong. He had this fictional ideal person in his head that was inspired by books and comics he read when he was a child, but that person was never you, not really. He came back expecting you to just be his imaginary friend brought to life and he was angry when you were your own person. He was angry you have people who love you and you would never be completely devoted to him like he was to his idea of you and maybe he thought if he killed everyone you love he would finally be the centre of your universe. He was an obsessed and jealous serial killer from the future who stalked you for decades if you count all the other timelines, which he did, he hid cameras in your bedroom, Iris, none of what he did is your fault, what he did was disgusting. You might be a superhero, but you don’t have to keep trying to force yourself to be okay with this horrible thing he put you through.”

“We beat him.”

“That doesn’t undo what he did. I want her back too. I wish I could erase all this, make it so he never hurt anyone, make it so Zoom never hurt anyone, but Cisco was right, time travel isn’t the answer to any of our problems. It just makes more.”

“He killed her because of me. You grew up without her, Dad lost her, and it was because of me.”

“No, it wasn’t. It never was. It was all him, these were his choices, he made the decision to take her from us to hurt you and it’s not fair, and I hate him for it, but it’s not your fault, and she wouldn’t blame you either. You don’t know what these Dominators want with you.”

“I deserve it.”

“You don’t. You just told me a different you came from Flashpoint and warned you not to, it wasn’t even you that changed time, it was a time remnant, and he did it countless times, it is not fair that you wanted to once and they’re blaming you when we have no idea how many times he did it. The Legends have changed time, why aren’t they being held to the same standard as you?”

“That wasn’t the only time I changed time.”

“You saved Central from Mark Mardon, saved Cisco, and then you saved Central and Keystone again from Savage. What, you’re only allowed to change time if you’ve lost people you love? You did that. It’s only allowed when you don’t mean to travel back? Only other people are allowed to do it?”

“It was a selfish decision-”

“It’s not selfish to have feelings, Iris! You were hurting, you had been hurting for such a long time, of course to fix it you have to fix the first thing that hurt. Maybe it was a rash decision, maybe you didn’t think it through, you had no control over what actually changed, but Zari just said the Legends agreed to help Rip change the timeline to save his wife and son, they agreed to help her change it to save her brother and parents, maybe those things happen in the future for them, but the situations are exactly the same, they’re being hypocrites. I lost her too, I know how much it hurts because I have the same hurt, I would do exactly the same as you did, only I wouldn’t listen to the time remnant. You keep putting other people before yourself, you always have, you didn’t let yourself grieve because you wanted to look after me and Dad, let me look after you this time. These aliens are lying, they’ll drop this bomb regardless of whether or not you go with them.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t care. You’re my sister and you’re hurt, and I don’t know how to fix it, I don’t know how to fix any of this, but I won’t let you think for one second that you deserve any of what has happened. You woke up with superpowers and immediately decided to use them to help people, you are not the bad guy and you never have been.”

Iris sighed and Wally hugged her tight.

“You’re my sister,” he said. “I can’t lose you either.”

“I don’t know if there’s another way to stop them,” Iris said.

“There’s always another way,” Laurel said. She stepped into the room with Kara and Zari. “Always.”

“John and Lyla lost their daughter.”

“And they will have to talk to each other, but they have J.J.”

“Kendra and Cisco refuse to work with anyone who won’t accept you,” Zari said. “You’re a hero, Flash. You will do so much good with your life. I’m from the future, remember? You won’t get a chance to do it if you give up now.”

“You are my friend,” Kara said. “Maybe you’re not perfect but no one is so who cares? I am here because of you and if the Dominators want you that badly they can go through me.”

“That goes for all of us,” Laurel said. “You asked for our help and everyone here answered because we know you would do the same for us, you would do the same for anyone, and because we care about you.”

“What about your team?” Iris asked.

“We’ll have words later,” Zari said. “But they elected me captain for a reason. I don’t know you, we met briefly in the middle of Zoom’s invasion, I only know the stories I was told and I’m not going to pretend they mean anything, but I know Jax and Martin are out there sticking up for you, I know Martin says he owes you his life twice over, I know Kendra loves you and how important you are to her, you have Mick vouching for your character, I am willing to follow your lead and I hope I can get to know you better if you can get Mick Rory to respect you.”

“He tried to kill me once,” Iris said. “But I won the fight.”

“Wasn’t expecting that to be why.”

“Well?” Kara asked. “We’re all here. What do you need us to do, Flash?”

“I need your help stopping an alien invasion,” Iris said.


End file.
